“Follow the money” – Carmichael makes call for remuneration shift for postmasters

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called on colleagues to “follow the money” to assess whether the Post Office culture has changed following the Horizon scandal. Speaking in a debate in Parliament led by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Post Offices, Marion Fellows MP, Mr Carmichael highlighted figures showing that the cost of administering the Post Office went up by 10% last year, while remuneration to postmasters went down by 2%.

Speaking in the House, Mr Carmichael said:

“I congratulate her for getting this debate. She’s heard me speak often enough about the culture in the Post Office.

“Does she agree with me that a good approach is often to follow the money? Last year the cost of administering the Post Office went up by 10%, but the money that went to postmasters went down by 2%. When these figures are reversed we will know that there has been a genuine change of culture in the Post Office.”

Responding, Marion Fellows MP said:

“I could not agree with him more. I frequently agree with him on Post Office matters; this is really important, as the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Post Offices, of which he is a member, is a real cross-party group in this place – there are no parties that don’t have members in it.”

Reacting after the debate, Mr Carmichael said:

“The roots of the Horizon scandal lie deep inside the senior Post Office management who for years before the introduction of the software simply did not trust their sub postmasters. The irony of that, knowing what we know now, will not be lost on many people.

“Despite everything that has happened it remains a business that does not give the respect to its frontline operation that it deserves. I see that regularly as I try to help local postmasters in their dealings with them.”

He added:

“Some of the best and most incisive work on the Post Office and the Horizon scandal has taken place through the All-Party Group, which has kept at this task in a determined and constructive manner over the years.

“There is far more still to be done to ensure that the Post Office network works and is trusted and viable in the years to come. Awareness and restitution for the Horizon scandal is only part of the task ahead. We have to deliver fair remuneration for postmasters for their work across the board going forward.”